All-way fuse



Patented June 12, 1%34 (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, asamended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 75'?) The invention described hereinmay be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a fuse of the allways type.

In providing an all-Ways fuse which may be completely encased and whichhas a firing pin constrained to axial movement it is necessary 'toprovide a mechanism which will positively drive the firing pin homeunder that condition of impact where the inertia of the pin tends tomove it in a direction away from the primer. ...,This is accomplished byproviding a lever for 'reversing the movement of an actuator and thearrangement is such that the order of the lever is altered when force isto be applied by a second actuator without reversal of direction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

-the invention resides in the novel arrangement Fig. l is a longitudinalsectional view of the improved fuse showing the parts in the safe orunarmed position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional View showing the method of functioning through one or" theactuators;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the method of functioning through theother actuator.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View through the plunger. Referring to the drawingby characters of reference:

The casing includes a hollow body 5 having a K reduced inner end 6providing for threaded attachment to a projectile and being open at itsforward or outer end to permit introduction of the firing mechanism. Theopen end is closed by a cap 7 threadedly attached thereto and when 7 inplace serving to establish a closed chamber 8. Mounted in the chamber 8is a cup-shaped plunger 9 whose base 10 is normally seated against thebody at the inner end of the chamber. A striker unit consisting of afiring pin 11 and a head 12 having a collar 13 is insertable in the 5plunger, the firing pin extending through an aperture 14 in the base ofthe plunger and also through an aperture 15 in the body.

An arming pin 16 inserted transversely through the body (Fig. 2) and theplunger and having a fork 17 for accommodating the firing pin spaces thehead 12 from the base of the plunger to prevent inward movement of thestriker unit and also to prevent outward movement of the plunger. Acotter pin=l8 inserted through the protruding extremity of the forkholds the arming pin in place against the action of a spring 19 confinedbetween the body 5 and the headed end 20 of the arming pin. The cotterpin is replaced by the release wire (not shown) of the standardlaunching mechanism of an airplane which release wire is withdrawn inthe customary manner When the projectile is dropped. If the projectileis to be fired from a gun the arming pin is associated with a setbackrelease, as shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,393,585 of Get ber 11, 192i.

In the unarmed position of the fuse (Fig. l) the head 12 of the strikerunit is in contact with the flat inner face 21 of a hammer 22. The outerface 23 of the hammer is conical and seats in a conical recess 2% in theinner face of the cap 0 '7. The hammer is capable of both longitudinaland lateral movement.

The rim of the plunger carries a pair of opposite inwardly extendinglevers 25. For convenience in mounting the levers the rim of the plungerincludes a substantially semi-circular extension 26 so that the leversmay be placed against the terminal faces thereof and pivotally securedthereto by means of screws 27. In the unarmed position which is theposition of assembly, the levers rest on the outer face of the collar 13of the striker unit and they are held in this position by v'"tue offulcrumed engagement with the hammer.

The firing mechanism is in the armed position ready to function when thearming pin has been expelled and the striker unit is unsupported. If onimpact the projectile strikes on its side the inertia of the hammer 22causes it to move laterally of the casing. Lateral movement, however,can only occur when accompanied by longitudinal displacement and byvirtue of the direct engagement between the hammer 22 and the head ofthe striker unit 11 and also by the indirect engagement with the collarthrough the levers 25 the striker unit is forced or driven inwardly toset off a primer (not shown).

If impact is tail-on the inertia of the striker unit and the inertia ofthe hammer will cause the firing pin to be driven home. In the presentinstance the hammer acts directly on the striker but it is apparent thatif the striker was arranged out of engagement with the hammer the latterwould still act through the levers to move the striker.

If impact is head-on the inertia of the plunger will cause it to bemoved forwardly. The levers, unable to move forward with the plungerbecause of the restraint imposed by their engagement with the hammerwill be constrained to turn on their pivots and since the striker unitis of considerably less weight than the plunger it will be moved by thelevers in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of theplunger and the firing pin will function.

This action may also be accompanied by lateral movement of the hammer.The arrangement of the component members of the fuse, as described inthe foregoing, permitsa closed casing to be employed. The completefiring mechanism assembled in its casing forms a strong,.compact unitand as there is no explosive train present there can be no danger fromaccidental functioning. The unit may be assembled to the projectile justprior to placing it in a bomb rack or in a gun.

I claim: a

1. A fuse including a casing having an axial aperture through one endand an internal conical seat in the opposite end, a cup-shaped plungerin the casing, a striker unit having'a collar disposed in' the plungerand a firing pin in the aperture of the casing, an arming pin extendingtransversely through the casing and plunger and spacing the collar fromthe base of the plunger, a

spring for expelling the arming pin, a hammer having a conical faceengaging the conical seat of the casing and contacting the outerextremity of the striker unit, a pair of levers pivotally car- 'ried bythe plunger, each lever having a sliding fulcrumed engagement with thehammer and engaging the collar.

2. A fuse, including a casing having an aperture through one end and aninternal conical seat in the opposite end, a plunger in the casing,

movement in one direction, a striker mounted for longitudinal movementin an opposite direction a hammer mounted for longitudinal and cornbinedlongitudinal and lateral movement on impact, and lever means pivotallycarried by the plungen-said lever means engageable with the striker andhaving a sliding fulcrumed engagement with the hammer.

4. In a fuse, a plunger mounted for longitudinal movement in onedirection, a striker mounted for longitudinal movement in an oppositedirection, a hammer mounted for longitudinal and combined longitudinaland lateral movement on impact, and lever means pivotally carried by theplunger and confined between the hammer and striker.

5. In a fuse, a plunger mounted for longitudinal movement in onedirection, a striker mounted for longitudinal movement in the oppositedirection, a hammer mounted for longitudinal and combined longitudinaland lateral movement, and a lever engageable with the striker and actedon by the plunger or hammer, either one of which serves as a fulcrum.

6. In a fuse, a pair of members mounted for movements in oppositedirections and a lever acted on intermediate its ends by one of saidmembers and acting on the other member to move the same.

'7. In a fuse, a striker mounted for movement, a hammer mounted formovement in the same direction as the movement of the striker and alsofor movement transversely thereto and a lever having its ends engageablewith the striker and acted on intermediate its ends by the hammer tomove the striker.

8. In a fuse,'a pair of members mounted for movement in the samedirection and one of them additionally mounted for movement transverselythereto and a lever interposed between said members and engageableintermediate itsv ends bythe transversely movable. member to actuate theother member.

9. In a fuse,- a casing having an internal conical seat, a hammer havinga; conical face engaging the conical seat and a flat face opposite tothe conical seat, a striker contacting the flat face of the hammer and alever engageable with the striker and the flat face of the hammer.

10. In a fuse, a body having a chamber, a pair of members in oppositeends of the chamber and mounted for movement in opposite directions anda lever carried'by one of said members and rotated through engagementwith the other member, said lever normally disposed perpendicular to thepath of movement of said members.

JOHN M. KING.

